MINIATURE DOLL HOUSES

Ashley Anderson, left, put some of the new, miniature furniture for her doll house in place while her sister Alyssa offered advice.

Ashley Anderson peered through the window into one of the more than five rooms in the doll house that she and her sister Alyssa share.

Nine-year-old Ashley Anderson prefers a Victorian motif.

"I already have wood floors in the house," explained the young, Cape Girardeau girl. "So I'm going to try to wallpaper it and get curtains and bedspreads and stuff."

Cindy Linz has been working on her miniature farmhouse for about a year. Caring for her family, working full time outside the home and attending Southeast Missouri State University leaves Linz little time for hobbies. But for the Jackson woman, working on the house is not a hurried affair; it is a labor of love.

"It's my dream house," Linz said, explaining that she is decorating her miniature house with the same care she hopes to lend a larger version someday. "I do get a lot of fun out of it. It may take the next 10 years to finish, but that's OK."

Miniatures caught Jeanette Juden's attention several years ago. The fascination continues some 15 years later. "I really enjoy the collecting," said Juden of Cape Girardeau. "The attraction is the same as it is for any collector of a piece of art, because that is truly what these pieces are."

Three miniature houses -- a Victorian, a Cape Cod and an antique miniature circa 1900 -- are homes to her tiny treasures.

The Victorian era is a favorite among artisans working in the field of miniatures, Juden explained. She said, however, that some enthusiasts now are focusing more on modern furniture. The most common scale in miniature-house construction today is 1-inch-to-1-foot.

Miniature furniture and accessories are made from an endless array of materials. Glass, china, silver and gold may be used; even miniature books are printed and tiny, working model-trains can be found, Juden explained. Minute gardens and elaborate landscaping are not off-limits. "Anything in the big world is made in miniature," she said.

Juden, Linz and young Anderson each approach the world of miniature houses from differing perspectives. But for each, the hobby brings unabashed joy.

Becoming involved with miniatures and miniature houses opens a whole new world for people, said Annie Brown, who lives between McClure and Tamms, Ill. "You can put as many accessories as you want to put in it, and you can spend whatever you want on furniture. You can do anything with this that you can do with big houses," she said.

Brown should know: Since gong to work at Hobby Lobby in Cape Girardeau her childhood interest in miniatures has renewed full-force.

She and her husband, Francis, a retired building contractor, constructed their first miniature house about a year ago. It was a gift for their granddaughter. Since then the Browns have put together more houses, including Ashley Anderson's, and Annie is about to launch construction of a miniature house of her own.

"My husband said, 'If we build one for you, it's going to take forever.' I said, 'Oh, well,'" Brown related with a chuckle.

For miniature-house enthusiasts, the never-ending aspect of the pursuit is part of the attraction.

Since her mother-in-law, Doris Linz, constructed the miniature farmhouse for her about a year ago, Linz has been decorating with patient precision. "I'll sometimes find a little piece in an antique store that is just right, and I'll get that; or, I might find something s special at a craft fair.

"I'm very particular with it," she said. Linz's 8-year-old daughter, Katie Heise, and her mother, Judy Ehlers, each enjoy their own miniature houses.

Juden said the fascination with miniatures has spread among her family. Karen Anderson, Ashley's mother, anticipates similar preoccupation within their family. The appeal of miniatures, Brown said, is contagious.

Ashley Anderson is already sharing her new endeavor with her 6-year-old sister, Alyssa. "She is helping me put the furniture in, and so I think I should share it with her because she's helping do all the work with it," Ashley Anderson said.

Taking on a miniature-house project involves plenty of work way before it is time to choose themes and color schemes.

The house may be purchased in differing forms. In some instances, people may first buy a shell and then purchase and finish component parts. Plus, many styles are available in do-it-yourself kits.

For the more determined woodworker, publications carry house patterns and some people even build from scratch.

Houses can be electrically wired for a truly realistic effect.

James Hochberger of Jackson picked up a few pointers after assembling two miniature houses for a church bazaar. By the time he was ready to build a house for his granddaughter, he knew which methods worked best for him.

He recommends paint first, then assembly. "If you paint everything first, then assemble it, you have a real neat, professional job," he said.

While some may find miniature-house kits more formidable than others, all who have tackled the endeavor agree that time is one of the biggest challenges. "Putting 100 hours into one is nothing," Brown said.

For miniature-house enthusiasts, the realization of a dream is worth the effort and cost.

"Every little girl that comes into this store wants one," Brown said. "The house, if it's well-built, will last her lifetime and on to her children and grandchildren."

Linz has seen the same reaction in her own home. Her miniature house immediately draws the attention of her daughter's friends. "That is the main thing that the little girls come to when they come into the house," Linz said. "The big girls too."